Acceptance.
It's a simple word,
but lately it has come to mean a lot more to me.
Being accepted can make us feel on top of the world,
while rejection can make us wish we could disappear from it.
It's something we strive for our entire lives.
To be accepted by friends;
a team, club, school, or company.
Concurrently, teammates, classmates, and coworkers.
And ultimately, a partner.
While the word itself may not be considered romantic,
in reality it is so much more.
Your partner accepts you on the deepest and most intimate level.
There are moments along the way that raise our fear of rejection;
like 'when do I have to stop holding it until she leaves?'
Or, the ridiculous amount of times my voice cracks throughout the day
(does puberty just keep going for some people?).
To find someone who truly accepts you for all that you are,
and all that you aren't,
is one of life's greatest treasures.
So yes, acceptance is not the most romantic gesture,
but when you truly think about all that your partner has to accept,
good, bad, and indifferent,
you may want to thank your lucky stars you found such a person.
And by all means, do whatever it takes to hold onto them.
As you can see, I not only found that person,
I am doing what it takes to hold onto her.
Recently we visited Boracay, and took these engagement photos
(and more, link on the top photo).
The story of the photos is a nice memory for us too.
Sungeun searched for a possible photographer to take photos of us.
Online she found a Korean girl living in Boracay,
but she wanted around $500 for a few hours of picture taking and photoshopping.
That's more than either of us wanted to pay.
We ended up taking her father's tripod to do it ourselves.
Once we arrived on the beach we realized the time consuming mistake that idea was.
Sungeun ended up negotiating with Roy, a local selling coconuts on the beach.
He agreed to be our photographer.
1 hour of photo taking: $10
Photoshopping: Free (done by Sungeun)
Memories: Priceless
As far as engagements are concerned, ours didn't happen in the traditional order.
We actually had a wedding date set before an official engagement.
Talk about ruining the surprise.
We bought the wedding bands right before this trip,
and the whole 'getting down on one knee',
as well as the other poses were exactly that, poses.
So while the trip was romantic and will give us lasting memories,
the whole 'popping the question' side of it wasn't a surprise.
Even though I told Sungeun, Boracay was the only proposal she was getting,
I did want to give her an unexpected proposal.
That meant thinking up a way to surprise her,
which led to this:
I truly am a lucky guy.
Not just to have Sungeun,
but for her family and friends too.
They have welcomed and accepted me.
Communicating isn't always easy with the language barrier,
(not necessarily a bad thing with in-laws)
but acts of kindness needn't any language.
I also know when the time comes,
my family and friends will do the same.
Accepting and welcoming Sungeun
the same way her family and friends have done for me.
I look forward to that day,
which isn't too far off.
